6 Ways to Keep Your Pug Mentally Stimulated

   It is a wonderful and necessary thing when you take your dog out for some physical exercise,  but that’s only a part of their happiness equation. Pugs are curious and intelligent creatures that also  need mental exercise.  If you have ever taken your Pug for a nice walk and he still is acting up, barking, jumping on you, etc when you know he should be tired, he probably needs some mental stimulation.  In the same way that a long day of using your brain can wear you out, the same holds true for a dog.  After speaking to a trainer, I learned that many of the hyperactivity and destruction problems pet owners struggle with can be resolved by adding some mental exercise to their dog’s daily routine.  Destroying the house or toys, eating socks and shoes, excessive barking — all of those things are often resolved if the owner starts to give the dog mentally stimulating activities. But mentally stimulating activities for Pugs and humans are bit different.  For the Pug, it’s mostly just simple and easy games, and doing things with their owners.

• Puzzle Toys

Puzzle toys are an easy and convenient way to keep your dog entertained and out of trouble. Interactive toys, like puzzles, help keep your dog focused on a task and that  extra little bit of mental stimulation can really make a difference. One or two extra 10 – 15 minute games a day can such a huge difference to your sweet Pug. It gives them something to focus on and look forward to, and that extra meaning in their day helps when it comes to solving behavioral issues.  Also, puzzle toys are a good because they give your smart little Pug a chance to use some of their natural problem solving abilities.  As an added bonus, keeping your dog engaged with interactive tires them out mentally and give them an opportunity for a confidence boost.  My Pug Finn is a big fan of the Kong Wobbler.

• Learn New Tricks

Learning a new trick is generally a very rewarding experience for dog and owner alike.  How many tricks does your dog know? Do they know stay, come here & lay down? Well the good news is there is a ton of tricks you can teach them that goes beyond the basics. With trick training there is literally always more to add.Teaching your dog a new trick or command is a great way to get them some needed mental stimulation.  Also, and it can be especially helpful with shy or fearful dogs as the training will help  boost your their confidence , and it strengthens the bond between dog & owner. Learning new commands can also help  increase your dogs impulse control (manners).Not sure what you should try teach your Pug next? Here’s a great list of  15 trick ideas  to get you started. 

• Make a Doggy Obstacle Course 

This means just what it says.  It is easy to set up an obstacle course just using things you already have around the house.  Teaching your dog how to go through an obstacle course is a nice mental workout for them (and you maybe).  And dont worry if you don’t have any agility jumps or poles at home, we make our own using  stuff around our house as alternatives.  If you are super handy and want to make a real agility course, by all means do so, I opted for using alternatives at home as I am not very handy. We use a some toys, a couple of 2 x 4s, some blankets, and a half dozen orange soccer cones we had in the garage from when my son played soccer. And while our course doesn’t even begin to resemble a professional one, it’s really useful in teaching our Pug new tricks.  You can teach your dog to ‘go to your blanket,’  ‘jump the rake handle’ or ‘switch’ through the soccer cones. You can choose commands based on what your course set up is.  This is one of the best ways to keep your pug mentally stimulated plus obstacle courses have the benefit of asking them to do a series of things and it is really a big mental workout for your Pug. 

• Play Hide & Seek

This is the same classic game we all played as kids. Pugs love it, too! You’re may have to get a friend to help you with this one though. Have your friend keep your Pug in a room with them, while you go hide. Start somewhere easy (behind your couch, behind a curtain, behind a door, etc) and call your dog to you.  Once your dog figures out the game and finds You, the two of can enjoy the surprise together. Reward your Pug with with treats and chest scratching when he finds you.  As Your Pug gets better at the game be sure to hide in increasingly difficult spots to keep him interested.  Finn the Pug loves this game it is his favorite on the list of ways to keep your pug mentally stimulated! 

• Teach Your Pug the Names of His Toys

Number five on the list of ways to keep your pug mentally stimulated is to teach them the names of their toys. Does your Pug know the names of his or her toys?  If not, this can be a fun and rewarding way to spend some time with your Pug that will provide them with a lot of mental stimulation.  A good way to start is to choose one toy and sit down with your Pug.  In the case of Finn the Pug, we are using a green llama.  Sit down with the Pug and the toy in front of them.  With the toy on the floor in front of you tell your Pug “llama” repeat until they touch the toy and then praise them like crazy.  Try this a few times until you know they have it, then add in another toy.  Before you know it they will have learned them all.  Then you can play the “go find it game” and tell them specifically “go find the llama” or “go find your banana” and they will know what to search for.  This is a great game for both toys and treats.

• Do Some Nose Work

Our number six of the ways to keep your Pug mentally stimulated is by playing nose work games.  Nose work is simply having your dog find things by using his nose.  Dog’s naturally have a great sense of smell ( although Pugs not so much) and searching for his treat will add the ever important mental stimulation he needs.  Finn loves to play ‘go find’ with food.  He loves popcorn so we take a few pieces and let him smell it, then make him stay while we go hide it.  If you are just getting started on this with your puppy be sure not to make it too hard in the beginning.  You don’t want to discourage them.  Once they do find the food be sure to give them lots of praise.  Treats are nice but Pugs love their people more than anything.

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